British actress Anna Friel has never boasted a fuller figure (despite her early Noughties penchant for over-exposing net tops suggesting that she did - see above). However, lately the former Brookside star seems to have lost the English rosy hue in her cheeks, and replaced it with chiselled cheekbones sharp enough to file your nails on.

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In fact, she seems so noticably slim on her recent round of red carpet events and TV appearances that the nickname "Anna Frail" came up in our office. So, armed with the knowledge that the 37-year-old has previously been partial to the maple syrup diet, we decided to investigate further.

It's widely known that pop star Beyoncé slimmed down for an acting role using this 1950s Master Cleanse diet, which replaces solid food with a cocktail of maple syrup, lemon juice, water and cayenne pepper for days on end. But while
Bey admitted it was a step too far,
Anna has been enjoying the youth-enhancing benefits the diet has had on her skin.

"If you're vain, as you get older you start thinking, 'I've got to do everything I can to save my skin'" Anna told
The Daily Mail
of her drastic dieting back in April.

Also in her red carpet prep is the "old-fashioned method, where I fill my sink with ice cubes and hold them on my face for a minute" and a curry leaf home-brewed tea which, according to Friel, helps maintain hair colour.

While there's no doubt that Friel has recently showed the bright eyes and clear skin that such health fads promise, we think Anna has gone one fad too far this time. If the actress has put herself back on the maple syrup diet, the daily 60 calorie consumption has certainly taken its toll on her frame. Despite an enviable designer wardrobe to mask her bony physique, we'd rather Anna started using her maple syrup stash for its intended dietary purpose: pancakes.